British Pornography Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in User Figures After Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this decline in site visits persisted beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.
This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations
Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
